


When the Tide Rolls In

by JuliassicPark



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: A surprising amount of marine biology, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Drowning Kisses of Life, I love mers okay, Kinda, Lifeguard Galo Thymos, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mer Lio Fotia, rose this is for you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliassicPark/pseuds/JuliassicPark
Summary: When Lio Fotia carelessly ends up trapped in a tide pool close to shore, he does his best to hide from humans and just hopes he escapes unscathed.Then Galo Thymos, lifeguard extraordinaire, stumbles upon him accidentally and can't rest until he's rescued.And when the humans hunting Lio get too close, they both get more than they bargained for.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 17
Kudos: 90





	When the Tide Rolls In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mirrorkirby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirrorkirby/gifts).



> Hi friends!!!
> 
> This is for my lovely amazing incredible friend [ Leo ](https://twitter.com/mirrorkirby) for their birthday!!! 🎉🎉🎉
> 
> They and I have a bunch of mer au's and just love mers in general so HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO HAVE SOME MERLIO CONTENT!!! 🎁🧜
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!!!
> 
> -Jabbles💕

The sea gives and takes.

Like the ever-present ebb and flow of the waves crashing upon the shore, a constant balance is maintained.

The sea is a fickle beast. She is cruel yet kind, beautiful yet terrifying, angry yet gentle. She can bestow wonderful gifts but just as quickly rip them away from you. Equivalent exchange; you cannot have the high tide without the low. Sometimes, she’ll lap gently upon shore and deposit just what you need into your lap. Other times, she’ll create a torrential riptide, tearing it away from your grasp. 

The sea gives and the sea takes. 

Lio Fotia learned this at a young age. Far too young, some would say, to witness the cruelty she wields. It was supposed to be a simple hunt, a routine mission to gather some food for the rest of the clan before they travelled further south. Not that they were doing so willingly; the only reason his parents had to venture as far as they did was due to humans overfishing the area. 

So Lio remained with the rest of the clan while his parents set off to gather supplies. He’d said goodbye, expecting to see them and the rest of the scavenging party in but a few days. 

But they didn’t. 

They never returned, instead trapped in a Dead Zone. 

At such a tender age, he’d only heard about them in passing; horrible stretches of ocean that suck the breath from your lungs until you suffocate. But in their desperation, the clan tried to find food where they could, but then the sea, in her wicked fashion, drifted them too close to the area. 

Their clan reduced by nearly a third, they continued on. Lio was taught the basics of hunting, defending himself and others, the history of their people, and even the human language of the settlement nearby. Though he was warned countless times to beware of it, for humans are far less accepting of Mer than one would expect. Mer must remain hidden and ever-cautious, because if they find you, they’ll rip your body apart for science.

But Lio was curious, as all tend to be. He’d watch the humans splash in the shallows from afar, never daring to approach. It was fascinating, intoxicating even, to see the bright smiles of the laughing humans. Part of him longed to speak to them, to join in on the fun, but his clan’s closely guarded secret was too paramount to risk. 

That part was snuffed out when he was sixteen, when he learned that the sea isn’t the only one that takes. Humans do as well. Much more violently.

It’s mostly a blur in his memory, too traumatic to remember the finer details. There were metal-strengthened nets, bubbling screams, and the ferric taste of blood in the water. 

Lio escaped, barely, with his life and a renewed distrust for land-dwellers. 

None of the others did. 

Being the sole survivor of the raid, Lio had few resources. Other clans existed in the sea, and Lio knew that. Growing up, he’d been told stories and even seen a few drifting through here and there. Sometimes they’d look similar to him, but other times, they’d be more seal or dolphin-like. Countless Mer are scattered all throughout the seven seas, but finding them is another thing entirely. Most do not want to be found. 

But Lio desperately needed allies, so allies he sought. 

The sea can give, too. Though it had taken far too much from Lio Fotia, again and again ripping away those he held dear with her icy claws, by pure serendipity, it also gave him exactly what he was searching for.

Two years ago, he came upon a group of Mer not unlike himself in quite a predicament. They were nearly surrounded, boat hulls threateningly encircling the group. Lio, thankfully, caught them in time and using his skills, successfully freed them with no casualties. On either side. 

It was quite an accomplishment, and well, before he even knew what had happened, they all started looking to him for decisions. With nowhere else to call home and no one else to call a family, Lio agreed. With more hands to help and an entire clan to support now, Lio Fotia took to his role of leader with a glow of pride and a decree that one day, they’d free everyone those dastardly humans took from them.

At the time, it seemed like nothing but a distant dream built on hope and little else. But after years on his own, Lio honed his skills. He watched, waited, paid attention to the humans that were their enemies. With an entire clan now at his side, his dream seemed within reach.

And now, they’re so close. Through careful observation and no small amount of risk, they’ve narrowed down where the kidnapped Mer are being taken. They’ve lost some, and Lio’s sure there are countless others that the humans reached before the Fotia Clan even could. But now, finally, they’ve figured out that the boats seem to all emanate from one cove. If they can follow them, then they can finally free their trapped brethren. Lio’s willing to risk capture himself if it means freeing the captured Mer. 

It’s an extremely delicate operation. Each step must be calculated, meticulously planned, every escape route recorded and everyone accounted for. Lio cannot afford to lose any of his team; he refuses to let it happen. He knows he’s got his two right-fin generals Meis and Gueira to back him up, and countless others at their hideout (an old shipwreck undetected by the humans), but he hasn’t made it this far by taking unnecessary chances.

Lio has seen too many of his friends dragged unwillingly up to the surface, bubbles spilling from their mouths. And for the plan to rescue the trapped Mer to go off without a hitch, he needs to scout every inch. No hidden tunnels, no traps, no grain of sand overlooked. It’s how Lio has had to live his life since his first glimpse of those pale beasts that wish to snatch them up. 

When Lio was little and wished to play with the laughing, carefree humans, he thought about it. He’s heard tales, legends, of Mer walking upon the land just like the humans, mingling among them unbeknownst to the rest of the population. But he’s never tried, and he’s not sure the rumors are even true. He’s yet to find someone who has set true foot upon the sand. Other stories of Mer saving humans from drowning and falling into the depths of the sea. But those are stories. Just stories.

And anyway, why would he want to leave the sea when she is deep and vast and holds all they need?

Well, it used to.

Until the humans took it all away. 

Lio clenches his fist, his sharp nails digging into his palm. He’s on an important scouting mission today, scanning the accursed coastline for any potential routes to slip through to the facility where the Mer are being held. It’s dangerous - he’s very close to shore - but he needs to check every possible escape route. It’s of the utmost importance. They’re so fucking close. 

Lio drifts through the shadows, head ducked below the Skin enough to see the dappling of the sunrise along the sandy seafloor. Some crabs and starfish litter the area, but it is mostly undisturbed. It is a high tide, providing more cover. His green hair floats around him, tousled by the waves rolling in and out. He can feel the pull on his body, gently tossing him to and fro. His tail is strong enough to hold in place, the shiny black length highlighted by teal and magenta scales reflecting the early morning sunrise, dancing along the seafloor. 

So far, he hasn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. It’s early enough that most humans are gone from this area, still asleep. Because of this, Lio allows his guard down a bit more than usual. His focus never wavers - never for Lio Fotia - but with a flick of his tail, he drifts closer to the shore.

He spots some rocky cliffs that, with the high tide, he can actually enter. He’s never been able to before, and he thinks the moon cycle must be full soon. They’re so deep, usually they don’t have to keep track of such things. But in the midst of planning their rescue attempt, details like the tide matter. 

It’s worth checking out, he thinks. Gueira and Meis are nearby, scouting other portions of the shore, but they didn’t plan to meet until after a bit longer, so Lio fares that he’s got enough time to explore. And if he’s lucky, these caves and cliffs may just hold the key he’s been searching for. As he nears the entrance, he breaches the Skin for a moment to scan the area. 

It takes a minute for his eyes to adjust to the air, the outer film retracting and blinking a few times to focus in the pale sunlight. Once Lio can see, he looks around himself, letting no more than his eyes above the Skin. Thankfully, he does not see any humans other than a fishing boat far enough away that he’s safe. Lio ducks back under, swimming towards the cave entrance.

He keeps low to the seafloor, not wanting to disturb any more than he needs to. However, as he gets closer and closer, it becomes increasingly clear that the depth is decreasing. Lio takes his head up once, surrounded by the rocks and tide pools. It seems the cave doesn’t go quite as far as he thought, but could provide a good hiding place if necessary. 

Lio sits up, perching upon a nearby rock to scout further. Deeper within the cave appears to be nothing more than sand and then a sheer cliff face.

It’s an unfortunate dead end. 

No matter; at least he checked it out and knows now. Lio glances up and notices that the sun is higher than it was previously; he should be heading back soon to meet up with Gueira and Meis. If he stays here for too much longer, he could be found by humans. Even worse, this is the area where the scientists that dissect them exist, and he could be found by _them._

Lio shakes his head, sending the horrifying thoughts away as he lands back in the water with a delicate splash. He swims back towards the open ocean, ready to tell Meis and Gueira about the new hiding spot, when he hits solid rock. Huh? This was surely the way he came!

Lio pokes his head up, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The ocean is right in front of him, so why-? 

With a sinking feeling in his chest, Lio realizes what has happened. How could he let this happen? How could he be so careless? He’s the leader of their clan!

He’s trapped, completely helpless.

Everyone is counting on him and he’s gotten trapped! Like so many of his brethren in nets. But this time, it’s a tidepool. 

The ocean calls to him, beckons him, but is a solid forty feet away. He could try pulling himself along, but Lio doesn’t think it’s worth the risk. He’d tear up his flesh and scales, never mind the attention he’d bring himself. He can’t afford to make a big deal of this or else he’ll be found. His best and only option is to hide in the tide pool hoping no one ventures too close. 

The magnificent, unstoppable leader of the Mer Lio Fotia is trapped in a fucking tide pool.

It’s so demoralizing, so pathetic, that this is what he’s become. 

Lio just prays that he makes it to the next high tide. 

The sea gives, and the sea takes. 

* * *

Galo Thymos is an early riser. 

There are only so many hours in a day, so he’s gotta make the most of all of them! And what that means is: if the sun’s up, he’s up. Plus, if he can get to the beach just after sunrise, it’s usually pretty empty, and he can go for a run uninterrupted. He jogs just above the waves crashing upon the shore, feet pounding the sand one after another. He’s got a shift on the stand today, but it’s not until later. And so, if he wants to work out, he’s gotta do it right now, before tanners and beachgoers flood the area. 

It looks like it’ll be a nice day; nary a cloud in the sky. The pale peach sunrise warms him as he runs the length of Prometh Beach. It’s not too hot yet, but Galo’s still working up a sweat from his pace. He may just hop in the ocean spray a bit after he’s done. Heart beating fast as he wraps up his cardio, Galo reaches the end of this stretch of beach.

Most of the time, he stops here, but today, the tide has gone back out, exposing the tide pools full of marine life. They’ve always fascinated him, and he carefully steps up onto the rocky outcropping to peer over them. 

There are hermit crabs with spiraling shells, crabs scuttling beneath the still water surface, and spiky sea urchins threatening to prick him if he gets too close. Galo makes sure to disturb as little as possible as he putters around the area. Most people don’t venture this far, preferring the soft sands and salty ocean spray, which he can’t exactly fault them for. Aina calls him a weird marine biology geek, but he just thinks they’re cool, okay? Galo just has a massive respect for the ocean and the critters that live within it.

He knows that the sea can pull you under without a second thought. Hell, he’s seen it happen. Lifeguarding is serious work: you’re literally guarding lives. It’s in the fucking name! And the sea is unpredictable. She can carry you away in the blink of an eye. 

Galo shudders, shoving those memories far back down and focuses on enjoying the tide pools.

He’s marveling at a particularly colorful starfish in one of the pools when he hears a splash. That’s not what grabs his attention, though. Splashes are bound to happen on a beach, of course. That’s normal. But this splash is followed by what sounds almost like someone whimpering. 

And that’s a problem. 

Galo lifts his head up, immediately going into Ocean Rescue mode. This is what he’s trained for! He starts scouring the beach and shallows to find the source of the noise. However, he doesn’t see anyone out this early. The waves are rolling in without anyone disturbing them. 

So what was that? Because Galo _swears_ that he heard something. He prides himself on his sharp ears and senses, always looking out for beachgoers that are in trouble. He’s the best lifeguard out there! Saving people with his roaring lifeguard’s soul! 

Galo just can’t shake the feeling that there is someone out there in trouble. His gut is telling him as such, and he trusts that. As he walks closer to the edge of the rocks to try get a better look at the expanse of beach, he spots something odd in a nearby tidepool.

Or rather, _someone._

It’s but a glimpse of pale skin and mint hair out of the corner of his eye before they disappear behind some rocks. 

“Hey!” Galo calls out, stepping between algae-covered rocks and sharp stones. “Are you okay?” 

He approaches the tide pool, which appears to be the largest in this area, but sees no sign of anyone. This pool is the one that leads back into his secret cave (well as secret as being on a public beach can be. As far as Galo knows, only Ocean Rescue knows about its existence.) However, it seems someone else has discovered the spot. It’s fine; Galo doesn't mind sharing. He’s more concerned about how they cried out, seeming to be in trouble. 

Galo hears another splash and leans over a large rock to peer into the pool. 

“There you are!” Galo exclaims. They’re… in the tide pool? Not exactly the safest place to be. The pool is deep enough to be in, sure, but not exactly prime swimming real estate. Why would someone be in a tide pool this early in the day? 

Fuchsia eyes flash up to meet his before ducking back underneath the water. Without saying a word, Galo stares, confused, as he waits for the shy stranger to resurface…

And they don’t. 

His rescuer instincts kicking in, Galo doesn’t waste any time. He vaults the rock he was leaning over without thinking twice. He lands with a grand splash and reaches for where he last saw the stranger. 

It all happens so fast; Galo’s in full adrenaline mode. He heaves the both of them out of the water with a dramatic flourish.

“There! I got you!” Galo proudly proclaims. “Saved ya!” He flashes a wink and a thumbs up as he sits up, draping his legs into the tide pool. 

That’s when he realizes several things.

First, the stranger has flopped, literally, onto the rocks and is sending a fiery glare Galo’s way through his wet bangs.

Second, he’s absolutely gorgeous.

Third, and probably most important, he’s… not entirely human.

His top half looks normal enough, albeit a bit slim. However, tucked within the minty hair framing his face are what look like frilly fins extending from his ears. From one dangles a shell-shaped earring. That would be weird enough, but is not what has fully captured his attention. Just below his navel, the stranger’s pale skin transitions into shiny, jet-black scales reflecting the sunlight in iridescent colors. There are splashes of green, pink, cyan, all the colors of the rainbow. It’s beautiful. The scales narrow into fins of pink and green, matching the frills in his hair. 

For a second, Galo thinks it’s a costume, fake, but then he sees the fins move and that gets thrown out the window. 

It’s unmistakable. 

It's a _mer._

“HA?” he exclaims in confusion, taking in the full sight. “YOU’RE A-? YOU HAVE A-?”

Galo has lost the ability to form coherent sentences, babbling in complete disbelief at what he has discovered. 

The person (mer-person?) regards him with contempt, glaring at him so hard Galo thinks he might spontaneously combust from the gaze alone. Can Mer hypnotize you with their eyes? Is that a thing? Because it feels like that’s what’s happening here. 

He manages to gather the scraps of his brain left to ask a simple question. 

“What are you?” 

The Mer grits his teeth together, clearly in distress. Did Galo say something wrong? Do something wrong? Well, to be fair, he did pull them out of the water. That’s probably not nice. 

“I’m Lio Fotia,” he answers. His voice is as deep and smooth as the sea itself. Galo was definitely asking what, not who, but he’ll take it. At least he can communicate. That’s a good step one. 

“Galo Thymos,” he replies, touching his chest and nodding. “You can understand me?” 

“Naturally,” Lio scoffs, pushing up with his hands (that Galo sees contain sharp black claws) to sit up. He uses the momentum to swing his tail (he really has a tail!) back into the water. “Your language is simple compared to ours.”

“Uh,” Galo says, unsure how to respond. He’s far too enraptured by the tail submerged in the water. Is this real life? Did he drown earlier and hit his head? What is all this? Is he dead?

“And to answer your first question, Galo Thymos,” Lio continues on undeterred. “I am Mer. Leader of the Fotia Clan, to be exact. And _you,”_ he accentuates. “Are not supposed to know we exist.” The words are sharp, spoken like a threat that sends a shiver down his spine.

Galo gulps. “Sorry?” he tries with a sheepish smile. It’s not like he was trying to find a merman during his morning jog!

This seems to throw Lio’s eloquence and composure off. His magenta eyes widen, switching from predatory to a more curious expression. “You’re apologizing?” His tail flicks some of the seawater up, dowsing Galo with a few droplets. “What for?”

“Grabbing you without your permission?” Galo’s just making this shit up as he goes. “I mean, like, I pulled you out of the water. And since you’re, uh-” he gestures at the tail - “that was probably a dickish thing to do.”

“Dickish?” Lio parrots, confused. 

“You know, like a dick. It wasn’t nice ‘a me.” 

“Humans have such strange words.” Lio shakes his head. 

“Yeah, we do,” Galo agrees. “Lots of dumb ones!” He lets out a big laugh, hoping that will break this awkward tension. He’s in completely uncharted territory here. 

Lio doesn’t laugh, instead still regarding Galo with caution. 

“What do you know of us?” he demands. It’s as if a switch has been flipped. Galo has no clue what caused it, but Lio is once again looking like he could devour him alive. Do mermen eat people? Shit!

“Nothing! I maybe watched The Little Mermaid once or twice?” he holds his hands up in surrender. “But I thought those were all stories! I’m not even sure I’m awake right now! Honestly!” 

Suddenly, those razor-sharp claws dig into his arm, pinching tightly. “Fuck! I am awake!” Galo realizes. “But I swear I know nothing!” 

“Hm,” Lio considers, retracting his hand and inspecting the black nails. “Maybe you are telling the truth.”

“I am!” Galo pleads. 

“I am inclined to believe you,” Lio decides.

Galo lets out a sigh of relief.

“But if you aren’t. If you’re working with them,” Lio leans in close. So close, Galo can feel his cheeks heating up with the proximity. He can see a few pink scales dotting Lio’s cheeks that he didn’t notice before. _“I won’t hesitate to drag you under.”_

“Okay!” Galo squeaks out in utter terror and something else that he really doesn’t want to think about right now.

“Good,” Lio says. “Then we’re in agreement.” 

“Are you gonna kill me?” Galo blurts out far too loud for how close they are to one another. “Because if you are, I’d ask you to please reconsider.”

“Mer do not kill,” Lio answers simply, finally leaning back out of Galo’s space and allowing him to breathe. Galo takes a deep inhale. It seems he was holding his breath and hadn’t even realized it.

“So you don’t eat humans?” Galo asks hopefully. Maybe he will survive this encounter after all. 

Lio gives him a weird look. “Who told you that?” 

“No one I was just worried,” he admits quickly and rushed. 

“No, we don’t eat people. We don’t sing and drown sailors, either. And if people say that we do, they’re just scared.”

“You don’t sing?” Galo’s surprised by that particular detail. 

“No, we do, but we don’t kill people with it.” 

“Good,” Galo nods. “The only sirens should be firetrucks.”

“I literally do not know what that means.” 

“Firetrucks!”

Lio tilts his head, squinting a bit. “Right.”

Holy shit, Galo is having a real conversation with a merman! And he’s not in immediate danger! So that’s good! But wow. Mer exist? How come he never saw them before? Wait. That is a good question. 

“How come I’ve never seen you before?” he asks. “I hang out here a lot.”

“Well I don’t.” Lio crosses his arms in a huff. “I only came here to scout things out. Then the blasted tide went out.” He glares at the sea in disdain.

“So you are in trouble!” Galo points at him “I was right!”

“Well, I surely wasn’t drowning,” Lio scoffs. 

“But you do need my assistance, right?” Galo asks excitedly. To be able to use his lifeguarding skills to handle a merman! And a prince too! 

“Prince?” Lio nearly coughs on the word. He must’ve accidentally said that out loud. Oops. 

“Well you said you’re the leader of a clan, right?” Galo tries to explain his thoughts. “Isn’t that like a prince or king or something?” 

(He conveniently leaves out the part that the reason he said it is not due to the aforementioned leadership position, but rather, Lio’s almost extraordinary beauty.)

“I’m not royalty,” Lio simply states. 

“You’re not?” Galo’s almost disappointed by this information. 

“We don’t operate as a monarchical system. I am the leader, yes, but I don’t wield absolute power like some sort of tyrant,” Lio explains with a slight snarl. “Not like you lot.” 

“You’re like, surprisingly good at words for not living on land,” Galo notes, trying to figure out what some of those words mean. 

“I was taught by your literature. It seems that my way speaking is more formal than yours because of this.”

“Yeah like, no one talks like that, haha…”

“It makes so little sense compared to our language,” Lio tuts, shaking his head. “Wonder why I even bothered, sometimes.” 

“You have your own language?” Galo exclaims excitedly. “That’s so cool!”

Lio’s mouth twitches to a firm line. “We do…”

“So what’s it sound like?” If they communicate underwater, that’s gotta be different. Is it learnable? That would be so dope!

Lio makes a noise that Galo can only describe some sort of chirp-hiss. He’s not even sure he could make it himself. 

“Whoa…”

He makes the noise again. “That is my true name. But Lio is fine.” 

“Yeah I… don’t think I could say that?” Galo tries. It comes out as something like a gargle in the back of his throat.

Lio laughs, really laughs for the first time, and it’s adorable. It’s light chittering noise that’s light, like water splashing in the shallows. 

Lio is caught off guard by his giggle, slapping a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. Slowly, he drops it and sighs.

“So you said you’re stuck?” Galo continues the discussion from earlier.

Lio starts combing through his mint locks with his fingers. His hair looks so incredibly soft. “I am loath to admit it, but yes.” 

Galo places a hand on his chest, grasping the whistle around his neck. “Rescuin’ is what I do!” 

Lio’s ear-fins flatten and he almost looks peeved. “I never meant for this to happen. I was just scouting and then the tide went out. I can’t cross that much land so...” His gaze drifts towards the open ocean. “Until it comes back, I cannot leave this pool. It’s so _degrading._ Downright _pathetic.”_

Galo reaches a hand out, rubbing at Lio’s arm. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until Lio blinks to look at it, eyes then lifting up and giving him a curious look. He’s not batting the hand away, though.

“I don’t think you’re pathetic. In fact, I think you’re pretty cool.” Galo grins. “The coolest Mer I’ve ever met!”

Lio rolls his eyes, huffing air through his nose. “I’m the only Mer you’ve ever met.”

“My statement still stands!” 

Lio laughs again, that lovely chittering noise.

“Well, I can definitely help you out!” Galo proclaims. “I shall return you to the ocean!”

“You really will?” Lio asks, nearly in disbelief. “Why trust me so easily? What if I bring you down with me beneath the waves?”

“I mean…” Galo frowns, racking his brain for a good explanation. “My roaring soul isn’t giving me a bad feeling, so that’s probably why!” he decides.

“ _’Roaring soul’_?”

“My roaring lifeguard’s soul! Always thunderous and crashing upon the shore, ready to save any who need help!” Galo places a fist over his heart, the location of said soul. “And it’s telling me that you’re not a threat!”

Lio murmurs something too quiet for Galo to hear.

“What’s that?”

Lio waves him off. “Nothing, just. You’re very interesting, Galo Thymos. Are you sure you even can help me?”

“Course! I’ll just pick ya up and take you to the water! It’ll be a piece of cake! I could probably bench you.” The last sentence is not something he meant to say out loud, but the words spill out regardless. _That’s hot,_ a traitorous voice in his mind says. In an effort to try his brain in check, Galo finishes it with an awkward laugh.

Lio’s tail slaps against the water once. “Well, I’m not one that likes to ask for help, but if I must, then-” Lio freezes. His fin-ears twitch once more. His voice drops its joking edge, lowering to true trepidation. “Someone is here.”

Galo immediately starts to stand up to see for himself and is surreptitiously yanked back down.

“Don’t,” he hisses. “If they see you, they’ll come looking over here.”

Galo tries to listen, but hears nothing. “I don’t hear anything?” he whispers. 

“I can. They are from the Foundation.” 

“The Foundation. Like Foresight’s?” He knows about the Foundation and its owner, but not much about what exactly they do. But there is certainly history there.

“They’re the ones hunting us,” Lio harshly spits. 

“ _’Hunting you?’_ ” Galo squawks before Lio covers his mouth with his hand. 

“The less you know, the better. Now if you don’t want to be implicated in this, do as I say.” 

Lio’s commanding voice is so powerful that Galo just nods along. 

“We have two options. One is we hide and hope they don’t come our way. Our other option is for you to get me to the ocean, **now.”**

Galo gulps. He glances around, trying to see if there’s a place large enough for Lio to hide. Though the tidepool is the biggest around, it does little to conceal Lio’s form. If whoever is hunting him – and Galo does not fully understand what that means but it sounds bad – tries to look here, he’ll surely be found. Galo could try to throw them off the scent, distract them. The owner knows him; surely they’d listen to him, right?

Lio’s dark eyes convey true terror hidden within them. Galo reckons he’s not the type to get trapped and helpless like this, and it terrifies him. He recognizes that look; has seen it in his own reflection sometimes when he thinks back to the day he woke up on this beach with lungs full of seawater and hands feebly grasping for his parents and coming up empty.

Lio needs his help.

“Let’s go.” Galo gets up on his heels, keeping low while also maintaining his balance. Holding his arms out expectantly, he gestures for Lio to come closer. “I’m gettin’ you out of here. It’s a Galo Thymos Promise!”

Lio still seems apprehensive, but as he’s quickly running out of options, obliges. “Very well.”

Galo reaches one hand into the water, hoisting up his tail. He uses the other to support Lio’s torso. For the first time, Galo really feels Lio’s tail. It’s not scratchy, but rather reminds him of the soft scales of tropical fish you can touch at the Foundation’s aquarium. They reflect the sun in a myriad of colors sparkling over the area. Galo finds himself almost absentmindedly stroking it before remembering the real danger they find themselves in.

Lio safely in his arms in a princess carry, Galo assesses his options. It’s about a forty-foot shot to the open ocean. That would be easy enough, but there are still tide pools and critters to dodge. But they’ve gotta move fast enough to not get caught. It’s like one of those floor-is-lava games they play at the clubhouse between shifts. Galo usually loses those to Lucia (her nimbleness is nothing to laugh at), but he thinks he can plot a course.

Taking a moment to plan out his trajectory – he _can_ plan, you know. No matter what Aina says – Lio pokes him.

“They’re close. _Go.”_

At Lio’s behest, Galo begins to quickly and carefully make his way along his charted course. A foot planted here, okay press off, now a little leap here. Almost there!

A few steps from the rocky cliff edge, Galo spots the people Lio was talking about. They’re donning lab coats and clipboards and… Nets? Stun batons? Huh?

In that brief moment of hesitation, they notice him. And the fact that he’s carrying something.

Fuck.

“Shit! They saw!”

“Then you’re coming with me,” Lio says matter-of-factly. 

“What?” Galo barely has time to ask what that means before he goes to chuck Lio into the ocean. However, just before he does, Lio digs his claws in and wraps his tail around Galo’s arm. Without any opposition or say in the matter, Galo gets pulled into the water by the clinging Lio, creating a magnificent splash as they do.

They both go in.

Galo’s flailing, wondering if he got tricked and that this was Lio’s plan all along. He’s getting dragged further and further into the dark depths of the sea.

He sure is too trusting, being taken advantage of by a beautiful siren like this. Lio just captivated him so fully he didn’t even question it. Dammit, he even swims beautifully, hand clasping Galo’s own, his tail swishing back and forth, propelling them deeper and deeper beneath the waves.

It’s sure one helluva way to go out. Not what he expected, though. He was supposed to go out in a fiery explosion! Something badass and self-sacrificing! Not drowned by some mythical beast!

He’s Galo Freaking Thymos! He can’t give up this easily!

With a renewed spirit, Galo tries to yank his arm out of Lio’s grasp and kicks towards to the surface. His eyes sting from the salty water getting inside them, but he forces them to remain open to get himself out of here. His lungs are beginning to burn, but he can’t focus on that right now. He needs to get to the surface.

As Galo attempts to make his valiant escape, Lio turns back to look at him. Underneath the waves, his eyes seem to glow with their own iridescent magenta light, illuminating the area.

Get it together, Galo! Stop staring! He’s trying to kill you!

In an impulsive move he really should’ve thought more about, Galo opens his mouth to yell at Lio for tricking him. As soon as he does, briny seawater spills into his mouth and throat. Shit, that was a poor decision.

Realization shocks through Lio as he seems to figure something out. He lets go of Galo’s hand, thank god. Okay, now he’s free. Galo struggles to swim up, but his limbs feel sluggish. Lio quickly swims up to Galo, fretting about and looking concerned. Why the hell is _he_ concerned? Isn’t this what he wanted?

Lio tries to say something in his native tongue, but Galo can’t hear anything past the rushing water in his ears. His lungs are screaming for air, but the alluring surface seems miles away at this point.

He’s losing his grip on consciousness, unsure of what’s up or down, what’s real or fake, drifting away, when he feels a hand grip his chin.

Distantly, he feels himself being pulled in a direction. This is it; this is how he’s gonna go. The last thing he sees before he fades out are those glowing pink eyes.

Then.

He feels lips press again his own and air beginning to spill in. Galo gobbles it down greedily, not questioning anything else. He’s just sucking in any and all available air to reinflate his lungs.

Is Lio doing that? His head is spinning far too much to follow. Then, just as quick as it starts, it stops.

Galo’s lips tingle with the remnants left behind. He carefully opens his eyes to find that Lio is close, really close. In the weightless water, his green hair floats around him like wisps of cloud.

What the hell just happened?

All Galo can really put together is that he’s not actively drowning anymore and it has _something_ to do with Lio, but that’s about it. Galo doesn’t try to reach the surface, too immobilized by what just transpired.

They both stay underwater, staring at each other in silence for another minute or two. And Galo… isn’t gasping for air anymore? It doesn’t even hurt? What the hell did Lio do? He points at Lio and then at himself, asking a silent question. Lio nods, but it doesn’t give him any more information other than Lio taking responsibility.

Eventually, Lio points towards the surface, and Galo lets himself be pulled up Lio’s strong swimming. They breach the surface, Galo sputtering and red-faced for multiple reasons. He collapses onto the sandy shore, almost crying in relief as he safely reaches dry land. Lio remains in the water, only his head and shoulders above the waves. 

“What the hell was that?” Galo shrieks. “I almost died!”

“If I hadn’t brought you with me, they would’ve caught the both of us.”

“And that’s a problem? I’m human, y’know!”

Lio squints. “You really don’t know anything about what they’re doing, do you?”

“Who’s they? I’m so confused!” Galo laments, still laid out like a starfish on the sand. “What the fuck is going on?”

“As I said earlier, they less you know, the better,” Lio says. “But even if you are human, to be fraternizing with a Mer is enough for them to lock you away.”

Galo shoots up from the sand to a sitting position. **“LOCK ME UP???”**

“I told you,” Lio says venomously. “There is a lot at stake here. You were in just as much danger as me.”

“Glad you care,” Galo sneers sarcastically, dragging a hand down his still-red face.

“Mer don’t kill.”

Galo sighs. “Right.”

“I had to take matters into my own hands to protect both of us,” he continues to explain. “I did what was necessary.”

“You could’ve let me know before dragging me into the depths of the fuckin’ sea!” Galo wails, throwing an accusatory point Lio’s way. “I thought I was gonna die!”

Lio, for the record, does actually look apologetic about that. “Sorry. Really. I couldn’t risk getting caught.”

“Well, yeah, but I almost drowned! And then you-!” Galo sputters, cheeks heating up. Y-you-!“ He aggressively points at his mouth.

“Yes?”

“You _kissed_ me!” he accuses.

“Kiss?” Lio cocks his head to the side in confusion, blinking once. “What’s that?”

“It’s when-“ Wait, Lio _doesn’t know?_ “Wait, so what was that then if it wasn’t a kiss?”

“Saving your dumb ass.”

“Aha!” Galo announces with a snap. “So you _do_ know cuss words!”

Lio blatantly ignores the comment. “ _’Mer can transfer air to humans for short periods of time to allow them to remain underwater’_ ,” he recites. “Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard.” He shrugs. “I’d never done it before.”

“You weren’t sure it was gonna work?” Galo balks. “WHAT IF IT DIDN’T? WOULD I HAVE ACTUALLY DROWNED???”

Lio pouts, puffing his scaled cheeks out. “You’re being awfully judgmental at someone who just saved you from drowning.”

“I wouldn’t have been drowning if you didn’t drag me in the water with you in the first place!” Galo points out.

“Fair enough. We’ll call it even, I suppose.”

“Even?” Galo squawks. “No you-! You need to take responsibility for what you’ve done!”

“Responsibility…?” Lio seems thoroughly thrown for a loop. “How?”

Damn, Galo hasn’t gotten that far yet. “I-! Don’t know yet! But you will!”

“I will?” Lio looks at him curiously. “You realize what you are asking?”

“No? Am I asking anything? Lio I almost fucking died I don’t know what I’m saying right now.” Galo flops back down onto the sand. “I barely know my own fucking name right now!”

He throws an arm over his eyes and lays in the sun for a bit.

A minute passes, then two. Long enough that Galo starts to suspect Lio’s left. Slowly, he removes his arm and blinks open his eyes to a surprising sight. Lio is hunched over him, face haloed by the mid-morning sun. The few scales scattered on his cheeks reflect the light, glittering in the sun. His rose gold eyes widen, as if he hadn’t expected Galo to see him in this position. He regathers his composure quickly, however.

“If I have been rude to you, I do apologize,” Lio says honestly, a little sheepishly. “I’m unaware of many human customs. And as for the drowning, I was trying to do what was best for the both of us. But I did not sufficiently explain myself. I can understand your reaction.”

“It’s okay,” Galo more breathes than says, enraptured by the Mer above him.

“And in the end, you did save me from that wretched pool. And from those who wish to cause me and my people harm. So thank you, Galo Thymos.” 

“Saving people’s what I do the best!” Galo declares with a wink.

“I really should get back to my people now,” Lio says, tearing his gaze away from Galo’s and towards the sea. “I’ve been gone long enough.”

The words are ones Galo’s been expecting, but that doesn’t mean they don’t sting any less. He’d love to spend the rest of the day in the company of Lio Fotia, if he could. But that’s not realistic.

“Will I see you again?” he whispers hopefully.

_I want to teach him about human customs. I want to have him try pizza. I want to swim and play with him more. I want more time with him._

_[I want to kiss him again.]_ _  
  
_

Lio smiles at the remark, actually smiles. “Of course, Galo Thymos. I must take responsibility somehow, right?”

“Really?” Galo honestly expected a full shutdown, maximum rejection. Or maybe he’d wake up and it’d all be a dream.

“Keep an eye out when the tide rolls in,” Lio tells him. “When the waves crash over the rocks and fill the cave at the end of the beach. I’ll be waiting.”

Galo nods.

“And remember,” Lio lifts a delicate finger to his lips, miming a _Shh_. “You never saw me.”

“Saw who?” Galo replies with a wink.

“Exactly.”  
  


And with that, Lio pushes off the beach to slip back underneath the waves. Galo is left sprawled out on the sand with a million questions, yet none of them seem all that relevant right now. He’s too giddy with feelings about his new secret friend. What incredible luck.

As he watches Lio depart and swim away, finishing with a dramatic tail flourish, Galo smiles.

They’ll see each other soon. He’s sure of it.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!! 💖
> 
> I am the biggest fan of mer au's and just mermaids in general so finally getting to write merlio is so satisfying!! 
> 
> This is currently a oneshot but I've left it open for future additions. We shall see... 
> 
> [ My Twitter! ](https://twitter.com/ashesfadein2gay)  
> [ My curiouscat! ](https://curiouscat.me/jabbles)


End file.
